Reflection Season

As a ski bum, the month of October has increasingly brought less and less ski time and more and more reflection time.  I tend to think of hiking as reflection time, because my brain has soooo much time to wander about.  Anyways, being post-harvest season there are plenty of things of which take stock and see what you need to get ready for winter hibernation.  And on the Access Road, this means that trips to the Post Office become grand adventures!  But what I tend to focus primarily on a few things...

(1)  Fitness & Nutrition

(2)   Equipment & Technical Clothing

(3)   Household & Traditional Clothing

You might ask if these are in any particular order, and I would say YES.  Definately.  Of all things, my Fitness & Nutriotion levels are the most important.  If I or anyone in my family are not mentally and physically prepared for the upcoming season then what is there?  That's a different blog, but once I have double checked my workouts (am I trail running enough?) and my nutrition guidelines being followed (am I snacking too much?), then I am able to focus on what's really important: My Gear!! 

I love that my reflection time coincides with the beginning of the holiday shopping season, because all these gear catalogues start showing up at The Ski House!  This makes it much simpler to put together a list of all the items that need replacing from having that last final season in the snow and to find new items that I have been trying to add to my arsenal for years (like climbing protection!  argh!)   I call this my Want List, which serves as a miserable reminder that I can ride last year's stuff for one more season and that I don't really need anything on the list  :(  But it's still a great way to reflect on what I have and where I could possibly go in life - think of all the mountaineering we could do...

Finally, I look around at my little condo and try to see what needs fixing, like the tub, and what I would love - like one of those tall faucets for the kitchen.  Oh well.  These things aren't really important to me though.  Just things on the list that society needs me to change.  I guess that I can go reflect on the conflict between my inner self and society now.